The WestArk National All-Star baseball team, comprised of players from Russellville, Alma, Greenwood and both Fort Smith high schools -Southside and Northside -finished an amazing run through last week's 2010 Southwest Regional Senior Babe Ruth 16-year-old tournament with a bitter 4-3 loss to Pine Bluff, the two-time defending state champions, in Fort Smith.

In the championship game, Russellville's Cody Jones earned the start and ceded to Brady Bradley, who recorded the loss. When Bradley entered in the fifth inning, WestArk held a 3-2 lead, but were unable to hold on for the win.

Jones gave National their 3-2 lead in the top of the fifth inning. On a two-out single by Bradley, Jones moved from first to third base when Pine Bluff left fielder Rickey Hawkins bobbled the ball. Jones alertly scored when Bradley's throw made its way past third baseman Todd Cox.

But Pine Bluff scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and another in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead.

WestArk had Pine Bluff pitcher Zach Bradford on the ropes in the seventh with three consecutive hits, but Frank Chiolino (Russellville) popped out and Bradley grounded into a double play to end the game.

How they got there

WestArk National 11, Union County 1

WestArk National opened the 2010 Southwest Regional Senior Babe Ruth 16-year-old tournament with an 11-1 thumping of Union County in just four innings.

Jones earned the win as he pitched a complete game with six strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Eric Turner (Russellville) got things started in the second inning with a double and scored on one of three Union County errors. Austin Suter (Greenwood) followed later in the inning with another double. Jones scored on the play due to another error, while Suter touched home on the third error of the inning, giving National a 3-0 lead.

Jay Brown put Union County on the board with a 2-out RBI double in the top of the third, but that was it for them at the plate.

WestArk blew the doors off in the bottom of the frame, tallying five runs on six hits and two more Union County errors.

E. Turner, Jones, Austin Nolan and Bradley all had RBIs in the inning that pushed National's lead to 7-1.

WestArk finished the game in the fourth. Hayden Hipps (Russellville) started the scoring when he touched home on an error. Houston Kennedy (Greenwood) ended it all in dramatic fashion when he jacked a two-run shot over the center field fence.

WestArk National 14, North New Orleans 1

WestArk National had no trouble with North New Orleans in the second round of the 2010 Southwest Regional Senior Babe Ruth 16-year-old tournament as they won 14-1 behind a strong outing by Suter.

The Greenwood product threw 41/3 innings, giving up just four hits, and Bradley finished the game with five consecutive outs.

It didn't take National long to get things rolling. E. Turner drove in the first run of the game with a first inning single and Suter followed with a two-run single to put WestArk up 3-0 after the first frame.

North New Orleans plated their only run in the second as Jake Liatano touched home on a fielder's choice double play.

National plated two more in the third, courtesy of a pair of NNO errors.

Austin Nolan (Fort Smith Southside) reached base after being hit by a pitch and later scored to make it a 6-1 game after four.

Nolan knocked in a run with a fifth-inning single and Chiolino pushed it to 8-1 with a bases-loaded walk.

Once again, WestArk ended the game in dramatic fashion as they dropped six runs in the sixth.

Kennedy started things off with a single and Bradley reached on a walk. Mychael Smith loaded the bases on an error and Hunter Shirley brought in the inning's first run with a single. Jones drew a bases-loaded walk and Chiolino brought two more in with a single. Kennedy sealed the deal with a 2-run home run.

WestArk National 10, Gravette 0

WestArk National recorded their third-straight run-rule victory in the 2010 Southwest Regional Senior Babe Ruth 16-year-old tournament with a 10-0 win over Gravette.

Gravette starting pitcher Brannon Webb -who threw 52 pitches in two innings -walked four batters in the first inning, but WestArk only plated one run on a sacrifice fly by Suter.

E. Turner led off the second with a double and scored on a Nolan sacrifice fly, and Chiolino recorded an RBI on a grounder.

Nolan pushed it to 4-0 in the third with an RBI double, but National struggled over the next two innings.

In the sixth, WestArk piled it on again and it all started on a Nolan single. Chiolino drew a walk and Kennedy reached on an error to load the bases. Suter drew a walk to score Nolan and Bradley followed with a two-run double. Matt Turner hit an RBI double of his own and Smith sealed the game with an RBI single.

WestArk 8, Bentonville 3

In a strange baseball game, WestArk National held on for an 8-3 win over Bentonville at the 2010 Southwest Regional Senior Babe Ruth 16-year-old tournament.

Chiolino threw a complete game giving up three runs on three hits with seven Ks and five walks.

WestArk took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on a Bradley RBI double that scored Chiolino and an error that scored Bradley.

Things got strange in the fourth, though, and the teams actually had to replay a portion of the inning.

Jones reached on a single and was advanced to third. The Bentonville pitcher was called for a balk that scored Jones and left Shirley on base. After the inning, Bentonville's coach challenged the balk and apparently won as the umpire ordered that Shirley and Jones return to the base and the two teams replay the final out.

But it wasn't enough as National outscored Bentonville 6-2 the rest of the way to earn a spot in the championship game.